18 months of hard work, Ms Yap infatuation and good fun is coming to an end (not to mention the family ties: sisters, husband, mother, grandmother, employers and employees of the Nyoke Lee Family). I’m sure it has been a learning curve and an experience not to forget for everyone.
More importantly is what we take back from this chapter of our lives. Beyond the lame jokes, the diverse impersonations and random insults, there is definitely something more to “life as a peeamfourian”.
I’ll definitely remember the various food places in SS15, the good and the not so good. One of them being Madam Joyce Eatery which started off as a small “chap fan” shop at H20 drinking stall and has ever since been a daily stop for lunch till now. Nah, I’m not going to bore you bout the different foods and what to eat and what not to. I’ll be writing a mini biography of Madam Joyce herself (please dun turn her into another god :D).
She started working ever since she was in school (can’t remember what exactly) and furthered her studies in hotel management locally first and finally in Switzerland, working part-time. She was actually involved in the management of the First World Hotel in Genting. As her husband was involved in construction, she too helped in site management, etc.
Madam Joyce was a lady of many talents. She then moved on to the food business where she started off selling on the streets and was later spotted by the H2O drinking station people who asked her to set up the stall at SS15.
She said that cooking has always been the passion and finally she was able to pursue it. In fact, she was asked to cook Malaysian food at the Venetian in Macau but turned it down. Instead, she chose to come here. Many people may wonder why tire herself at such an age (her daughter is already married) to cook? She enjoys cooking because it gives her satisfaction that people enjoy her food, people like us. Cooking was initially just her hobby where she would entertain her friends but now she has a bigger audience, a bigger group of food tasters: lecturers, students and working adults of SS15.
Her plan for the future is to travel the world not to enjoy beautiful sceneries or historical places but to unselfishly help the poor in places such as India.
The moral of the story as cliché as it sounds is that we should learn from people like this who dare to pursue their passion, who have the guts to step out of their comfort zone to try something new which has always been dear to their hearts. Let not our dreams we have as children fade away but let us realize our long-standing ambitions. Let us hold true to the innocent dreams we have untainted by remarks from people around us and the world. But also grow from experiences to be able to put these dreams into reality.
I believe each of us is different, one of a kind and with the potential to make a difference in this world. As the chapter in Taylor’s College is coming to a close and a new one beginning, don’t forget the experiences we have had, the lessons learnt and the friendships made. Time belongs to no man and it is inevitable that we all have to move on but everything has its own time. There is a time for friendships to be made, a time for relationships to form and for some to be broken. There is a time where we learn from our failures and a time to rejoice in our triumph. There is a time to teach and a time to learn from others. There is a time for joy and a time for disappointments. It’s a never-ending journey of learning and discovery and in two months, it will be time for all of us to part our separate ways.
But nonetheless, we are all peeamfourians at heart and shall always cherish the every moment we have had together.
